Patriots Predicted to Sign Former Pro Bowl Quarterback to Replace Tom Brady discuss

[primetime]

Bridgewater at 15 is 15+13 (Brady dead cap)=28 million. So I don't see all the additional cap space you seem to think they'll have to sign all the free agents etc...

They have $30m with Brady's bigger hit factored in and room to create another $20m or so. Some of their free agents are probably gone regardless, but they'll have room to play either way. Not a ton, but some. Figure after a QB, whether it's Brady plus the smaller dead hit or someone else plus the bigger dead hit, they have $25-30m. More if they roll with Stidham and a Keenum or Flacco level guy.

 

[Tunescribe]

His legacy is fine. His game is fine. His commercial was fine. You're railing at the clouds.

Sez you.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I hereby pledge to keep coming here and whizzing in people's cornflakes despite my stated position that until the ink is dry it all comes down to "some dude said."

It is not fair for this website to pay the price for the meaninglessness of the offseason. Only I need to go get caught up on Draftnik Talk at some point, at least enough where I can pick a binkie mainly by cool names.

 

[Tunescribe]

I hereby pledge to keep coming here and whizzing in people's cornflakes despite my stated position that until the ink is dry it all comes down to "some dude said."

Anyone who eats cornflakes deserves to have them whizzed on. Hell, that probably would add a nutritional boost.

 

[mgteich]

We'll see but I don't see the value of signing a bridge QB. If we're going to go into a rebuild mode then do it with a rookie.

Since Kraft arrived, the "commitment" to the fans was to have a competitive team every year' that is, a team capable of making the playoffs. Anything can happen once a team reaches the playoffs. So, the patriots don't have the concept of taking a year off to rebuild, and simply running the team to do well in a couple of years.

If Brady stays, it will business as usual. There will be at most one major signing. There will be a lot tweaking, some trades and an effort at being competitive. The team will NOT make 3 $15M acquisitions because of Brady's narrow window.

If Brady goes, the team will spend the money necessary to have a bridge quarterback for a couple of years. This could be a $20+M quarterback to start or a lesser one to compete with Stidham and a draftee. The approach to the rest of the team would be similar to the team if Brady stayed.
Perhaps, one difference might be that Edelman wouldn't be expected to stay for very long.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Since Kraft arrived, the "commitment" to the fans was to have a competitive team every year' that is, a team capable of making the playoffs. Anything can happen once a team reaches the playoffs. So, the patriots don't have the concept of taking a year off to rebuild, and simply running the team to do well in a couple of years.

If Brady stays, it will business as usual. There will be at most one major signing. There will be a lot tweaking, some trades and an effort at being competitive. The team will NOT make 3 $15M acquisitions because of Brady's narrow window.

If Brady goes, the team will spend the money necessary to have a bridge quarterback for a couple of years. This could be a $20+M quarterback to start or a lesser one to compete with Stidham and a draftee. The approach to the rest of the team would be similar to the team if Brady stayed.
Perhaps, one difference might be that Edelman wouldn't be expected to stay for very long.

Your conclusions are drawn from a cliched mission statement to field a competitive team every year?

 

[mgteich]

Your conclusions are drawn from a cliched mission statement to field a competitive team every year?

and from watching. discussing and analyzing every decision made in the last 40 years (of course, only with the information that we outsiders have).

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

and from watching. discussing and analyzing every decision made in the last 40 years (of course, only with the information that we outsiders have).

No, that’s cool. If it’s more of a sense you get from following the team, I’m all for hearing the opinion. I thought you were taking the “competitive team every year” angle to an extreme.

 

[Tunescribe]

Since Kraft arrived, the "commitment" to the fans was to have a competitive team every year' that is, a team capable of making the playoffs. Anything can happen once a team reaches the playoffs. So, the patriots don't have the concept of taking a year off to rebuild, and simply running the team to do well in a couple of years.

If Brady stays, it will business as usual. There will be at most one major signing. There will be a lot tweaking, some trades and an effort at being competitive. The team will NOT make 3 $15M acquisitions because of Brady's narrow window.

If Brady goes, the team will spend the money necessary to have a bridge quarterback for a couple of years. This could be a $20+M quarterback to start or a lesser one to compete with Stidham and a draftee. The approach to the rest of the team would be similar to the team if Brady stayed. Perhaps, one difference might be that Edelman wouldn't be expected to stay for very long.

I can't recall the last time this team had 20 free agents atop multiple pressing needs alongside an aging quarterback commanding a cap-gouging salary with two years left, max. This coming season won't be "business as usual" for the Patriots no matter how you cut it -- not with so many roster needs and an incredibly difficult schedule. In fact, it could be the biggest crossroads season for a BB-coached team in 19 years.

Naturally, much of this spins around Brady staying or going. If he goes, a mid-priced "bridge" veteran QB makes little sense with so many other pressing needs on a team that likely won't be capable of a title run regardless of who's behind center. The best of all scenarios would be Brady signing a one-year VERY team-friendly deal to mentor his 2021 successor while making a pre-retirement curtain call. Next-best (if he goes) would be Stidham and a rookie fighting it out in camp to lead the best team BB can put around them. In all likelihood, 2020 will be the sort of rocky road Patriots fans haven't seen in quite some time.

 

[Tony2046]

Since Kraft arrived, the "commitment" to the fans was to have a competitive team every year' that is, a team capable of making the playoffs. Anything can happen once a team reaches the playoffs. So, the patriots don't have the concept of taking a year off to rebuild, and simply running the team to do well in a couple of years.

If Brady stays, it will business as usual. There will be at most one major signing. There will be a lot tweaking, some trades and an effort at being competitive. The team will NOT make 3 $15M acquisitions because of Brady's narrow window.

If Brady goes, the team will spend the money necessary to have a bridge quarterback for a couple of years. This could be a $20+M quarterback to start or a lesser one to compete with Stidham and a draftee. The approach to the rest of the team would be similar to the team if Brady stayed.
Perhaps, one difference might be that Edelman wouldn't be expected to stay for very long.

You could be right. I have no idea what BB will do.

I would not consider a bridge QB approach as trying to be competitive because your basically wasting cap space on an 8-8 or less shlub. It's not worth it.

They'd be more competitive using the freed up cap space that comes with a rookie QB contract by fortifying the defense and adding offensive weapons or building a monster running attack.

So I disagree with the bridge QB approach whole heartedly.

I do agree that they will try to be competitive or won't tank.

 

[Tony2046]

They have $30m with Brady's bigger hit factored in and room to create another $20m or so. Some of their free agents are probably gone regardless, but they'll have room to play either way. Not a ton, but some. Figure after a QB, whether it's Brady plus the smaller dead hit or someone else plus the bigger dead hit, they have $25-30m. More if they roll with Stidham and a Keenum or Flacco level guy.

It's just my personal opinion but all I'm doing is waiting to see what happens with Brady. If he goes I'm fully on board with Stidham or a rookie QB. If he stays I'm hoping for a great last hoorah.

But if he does go. I will hate any "bridge QB" approach. Not the QB just the approach.

I hope Brady comes back on a two year deal. But that's for simply personal reasons and I understand that. I don't hate anyone who is ready to move on because I can see their side of the argument.

 

[StockingAnarchyNumber12]

I have a prediction too, let me start a thread about it

 

[mgteich]

No, that’s cool. If it’s more of a sense you get from following the team, I’m all for hearing the opinion. I thought you were taking the “competitive team every year” angle to an extreme.

fair enough

Obviously, there are times when we realistically understand that the playoffs are a longshot. I oppose the opinion that many have that if we don't have a team that is likely to go deep into the playoffs, then we should panic, cut a lot of veterans, and "rebuild".

 

[VJCPatriot]

I don't see Bridgewater being anywhere near the same class as Brady. And if we did sign him it would probably cost at least 25m a year, so why not just stick with Brady at that point.

At first I thought they were going to say we were planning to sign Philip Rivers, which would be another clear downgrade. Give Rivers the talent that Brady had last year and he wouldn't even sniff 4k yards with 28 TDs. Hell he threw for 5 less TDs with a far more stacked WR corps, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams 1k+ yards each, and a far better TE in Hunter Henry 650+ yards and 5 TDs.

 

[Dagg]

It's just my personal opinion but all I'm doing is waiting to see what happens with Brady. If he goes I'm fully on board with Stidham or a rookie QB. If he stays I'm hoping for a great last hoorah.

But if he does go. I will hate any "bridge QB" approach. Not the QB just the approach.

I hope Brady comes back on a two year deal. But that's for simply personal reasons and I understand that. I don't hate anyone who is ready to move on because I can see their side of the argument.

Agree 100% I dont want to live in the middle. If the window is still open for another year or perhaps 2 our only shot is to sign Brady and lets compete. If not go with Stidham for low $ see what he has and start to turn over the roster. What good will it do us to go 9-7 or 10-6 with a bridge guy if we have ZERO shot of beating KC or Ravens because thats what it boils down to.

 

[Ivan]

You could be right. I have no idea what BB will do.

I would not consider a bridge QB approach as trying to be competitive because your basically wasting cap space on an 8-8 or less shlub. It's not worth it.

They'd be more competitive using the freed up cap space that comes with a rookie QB contract by fortifying the defense and adding offensive weapons or building a monster running attack.

So I disagree with the bridge QB approach whole heartedly.

I do agree that they will try to be competitive or won't tank.

I think it’s impossible to understand what a Belichick and the Patriots coaches and FO are thinking without knowing how they feel about Stidham and his development.

 

[sean10mm]

It seems like people in general (not Pats fans specifically) are weirdly high on Bridgewater, but he's always seemed extremely average. Outside spot duty on the Saints this year where he only had to throw like 150 yards/game on a great roster, his career peak is going 11-5 on the Vikings by handing prime Adrian Peterson the ball like 350 times. He's never actually, you know, DONE much of anything as a QB.

 

[scott99]

It seems like people in general (not Pats fans specifically) are weirdly high on Bridgewater, but he's always seemed extremely average. Outside spot duty on the Saints this year where he only had to throw like 150 yards/game on a great roster, his career peak is going 11-5 on the Vikings by handing prime Adrian Peterson the ball like 350 times. He's never actually, you know, DONE much of anything as a QB.

His career stats aren't bad. 34 career starts, 22-12 record, 65.2 career completion percentage, 7652 yards (average 225 yards a game), 38 tds, 25 Ints. Average that over a 16 game season, it's 3600 yards 18 tds, 12 Ints. Not horrendous, and not great.

His stats are better in New Orleans, 1502 in 6 starts (250 yards per game) 5-1 record, 67.1 completeion percentage, 10 tds, 3 ints. Average that over 16 games, that's 4,005 yards, 27 tds and 8 ints. Obviously tough to project he'd keep that same pace over 16 games, but he was obviously better in N.O. than in Minny.

 

[mgteich]

I think it’s impossible to understand what a Belichick and the Patriots coaches and FO are thinking without knowing how they feel about Stidham and his development.

Sure.

For me, if they really like Stidham, then a bridge QB may be the #2 QB, or the #1 if Stidham isn't ready. In this case, they might not draft another QB.

If they aren't sure of Stidham, then we would bring in a bridge QB to likely start n 2020 (and perhaps 2021) and draft another QB to compete with Stidham for the future.

Some here seem to think that we should simply start Stidham, and presumably keep Kessler or another inexpensive QB as a backup. I don't see this happening, no matter what the team thinks of Stidham's prospects.

 

[supafly]

I need to go get caught up on Draftnik Talk at some point, at least enough where I can pick a binkie mainly by cool names.

I’m hoping to draft either Torque (construction noise) Lewith, or L’Carpetron Dookmarriot in the early rounds.